(Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
Even though the NFL has been working toward making football a safer game on the professional level, the game still takes a toll on the bodies of the league’s players on a weekly basis, which can lead to early retirements and some health problems down the road.
Although sudden retirements by superstar players don’t happen that often in the league, as players like to maximize how much they can make to secure their long-term futures away from football, the Detroit Lions have had two incidences in which the team was devastated by two of their best players in franchise history stepping away much earlier than anticipated.
First, it was superstar running back Barry Sanders, who made the Pro Bowl in all 10 seasons he played for the Lions and is widely regarded as the best player to ever play his position.
Despite still being at the top of his game, Sanders decided to retire at 31 years old, which sent shockwaves throughout the organization and the NFL.
Ironically enough, superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson decided to do the same thing at 30 years old, but he claims it was because he was tired of dealing with injuries, which makes this story about the hardest hit of his career that much more impactful via Dov Kleiman.
“I swear I got hit 5 yards back the other way…my whole insides they were just like out of order, it felt like,” Johnson said.
Calvin Johnson says 5′10″ London Fletcher delivered the hardest hit he’s ever taken in his career:
“I swear I got hit 5 yards back the other way…my whole insides they were just like out of order it felt like.”
(via @StBrownPodcast) pic.twitter.com/DFYqdl1rJL
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 25, 2024
Despite being arguably one of the best receivers in the game at the time, Johnson called it a career when he probably could’ve played for a few more years in an attempt to win that elusive Super Bowl title.
Johnson and Sanders weren’t the first and won’t be the last players to call it a career early, as it is bound to happen again.
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